135 Pak soldiers buried in avalanche

Siachen: About 135 Pakistan Army soldiers were buried when an avalanche hit a battalion headquarters at Gyari in the Siachen sector early this morning. Some 135 soldiers, including a colonel, were believed to have been buried under the snow, sources said. A rescue operation had been launched. There were reports of casualties but these could not be independently confirmed.

Siachen is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan. It is the world’s highest and coldest battlefield. The two neighbouring countries have deployed troops at elevations of up to 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) there. There have been intermittent skirmishes since 1984, and the region is known as the world’s highest battlefield. More soldiers have died from the harsh weather there than combat.